The present invention relates generally to protective devices for used medical needles to prevent inadvertent user contact with such needles. The protective devices (i.e., needle protectors) of the present invention may be incorporated into a disposable plastic tubing and container set used in the collection and processing of a biological fluid such as blood.
Needles are used in a wide variety of procedures in the medical field. For example, needles are commonly used to administer fluids, such as intravenous solution, medication, blood components and the like to patients, as well as to withdraw fluids, such as blood or other fluids from patients or donors. One very common application for needles is in collecting blood from a donor.
Withdrawing blood from a donor typically involves inserting a needle into the donor""s vein and withdrawing blood from the donor through the needle and associated plastic tubing into a collection bag or blood processing device. Typically, the needle, tubing and containers make up a blood processing set which is disposed of after a single use.
The presence of blood-borne pathogens that may lead to serious medical conditions such as hepatitis, AIDS and other diseases have given rise to increased concern for accidental needle puncture after a needle is withdrawn from a patient""s or donor""s arm. The concern includes withdrawal of the needle and the possibility of an accidental needle stick to the technician or nurse, as well as the safe disposal of the used needle. For this reason, the medical field has developed devices that allow for the safe withdrawal and storage of the used needles.
Some of the early needle protectors were in the form of a cap that was placed over the needle. The caps typically included a flat plate or shield, which extended radially outwardly near the opening of the cap. The shield protected the technician""s fingers from the needle during placement of the cap over the needle. A needle protector of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,618.
More recently, in the field of blood processing and/or collection, the needle protectors have been incorporated into the disposable tubing and container sets used to collect and process the blood. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,670 discloses a sheath adapted to be slidably supported on the tubing of the disposable processing set. The sheath is open at its distal and proximal ends with the tubing extending through the open ends of the protective sheath. After collection, the sheath is slidably moved over the needle and/or the needle is completely retracted within the sheath.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,638 discloses a needle protector having slotted side walls (to receive a winged needle) and an end wall. The protector is slidably mounted on the tubing of the disposable processing set. As the protector is slidably moved forward over the needle (and the needle is withdrawn into the protector) the end wall causes the needle and the hub to be held in the sheath in an acute angle to the top wall with the needle tip positioned against the underside of the top wall.
While these needle protectors have generally worked satisfactorily, efforts continue to provide further improvements in the area of needle protection.
The present invention is generally directed to a needle protector having an elongated housing that has a distal end and a proximal end. The housing defines a needle-receiving compartment that restricts unintentional contact with the needle. The housing further includes an opening at each of the proximal and distal ends and is adapted to receive a needle through the opening at the distal end. The housing includes a portion that is depressible to a substantially fixed position to capture a needle within the housing.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the needle protector may include a depressible top wall hingedly attached to the housing at the proximal end. In another aspect of the present invention, the needle protector may include at least a pair of facing side walls. The side walls may be adapted to maintain the top wall in the depressed position. In another aspect of the present invention, the needle protector may include a detent extending from the interior surface of at least one of the walls, such as the top wall, to immobilize the retracted needle.
The present invention is also directed to a needle and a needle protector assembly. The assembly includes a needle mounted on a hub and a length of tubing having one end attached to the hub, the tubing defining a flow path for a biological fluid. The assembly further includes a housing having a distal end and a proximal end. The housing defines a needle-receiving compartment that restricts unintentional contact with the needle. The housing may also include an opening at each of the proximal and distal ends. The length of tubing extends through at least the opening at the proximal end and allows for movement of the housing and tubing relative to one another. The housing includes a portion that is depressible to a substantially fixed position to capture a needle within the housing.